Prime Minister Helen Clark believes whoever is elected the next president of the United States will be a friend of New Zealand.
The race is between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain after Hillary Clinton at the weekend endorsed Mr Obama after he secured enoughsupport to win the nomination.
Miss Clark today said on TVNZ's breakfast programme that it was not appropriate for her to say which one out of Mr Obama and Mr McCain would be better for New Zealand.
She was told that National leader John Key felt Mr McCain would be better for this country.
Miss Clark said both men were "incredible people".
"You've got Senator John McCain, who is a friend of New Zealand, met our people, speaks well of New Zealand, an American hero no question.
"Then you have Barack Obama who has just taken the world, TV audiences, by storm with the charisma, the rhetoric, the appeal.
"It's going to be an incredible contest. I'm confident whichever man wins will be a friend of New Zealand's," she said.
